Bidjar rugs are known as the "iron rugs of Persia", and for good reason. Woven by Kurdish weavers in the town of Bidjar in western Iran, they are packed with an unusually dense, heavy construction — the wefts are beaten down so hard that the rug becomes stiff and remarkably strong.

That toughness is matched by rich, saturated colour and bold geometric or Herati designs. If you want a Persian rug that will take decades of everyday use, a Bidjar is the answer.